Add a Zach Parise there, throw in a Ryan Suter here. Bring back Teemu for one last season.

Then it’s time to wake up. Free agency isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, especially for fans of teams like the Jets that have vowed to be low- to mid-level spenders. They basically replace players on your roster with similar talent and hope the new ones are just a little bit better.

Since the common thought is the Jets are unlikely to throw their hat in the ring for zingers like Zach Parise or Ryan Suter, it’s unlikely this long weekend will be overly exciting for the rabid Jets fan base.

GM Kevin Cheveldayoff wants to build his team from the ground up, which means they are unlikely to seriously upgrade weak areas of their team. Patience is a virtue, people, even though you deserve better.

When you think back to last year, Tanner Glass was a decent signing on July 1, but he ended up being a fourth-liner on the third line and scored just one goal in his last 44 games. The third line needs more production than that.

Another signing last summer was defenceman Randy Jones, who played in only 10 games after the trade deadline and was a healthy scratch for the rest of them. The other unrestricted free agent signings shortly after the window opened were defenceman Mark Flood, who played less than Jones, and forward Aaron Gagnon, who spent all but a few games with the St. John’s IceCaps.

That was it.

To be fair, the Jets were only a month old at this time last year. They didn’t really know what kind of talent they had in their system and they figured they were going to need revenue sharing, so there was no reason for them to throw wads of cash at some of last year’s top unrestricted free agents.

This year is different. Cheveldayoff and his staff know their personnel, the Jets did not need revenue sharing, they have obvious areas they need to improve, and they have to spend about $11 million just to get to the salary cap floor. So free agency this year in Winnipeg should be a little more exciting than last. At least you’d hope so if you’re a Jets fan.

There still seems to be this train of thought that the big names don’t want to come to Winnipeg. If that’s the case, it’s time to change it. Throw some serious money at some serious players. Show you want to win. Tell them how great it is to play in front of arguably the most passionate fans in the league. We’re not talking about $9 million for a Parise or Suter, because they’re not worth that, but $4 or $5 million for a reasonably big name would make a statement.

The Jets couldn’t go wrong adding anyone, really. They need a top six forward, they need size, and they need to find a way to not allow the fifth most goals during the regular season like they did last winter. Looking back, it’s somewhat difficult to believe they missed the playoffs by only eight points.

They now know what they need, so they should go out and attempt to get at least some of it. Get somebody who will improve the team, like an Olli Jokinen up front or a Filip Kuba on the back end. They’re not going to win the Stanley Cup for the Jets, but they would make them better. Don’t just re-sign your own free agents, either, because that group didn’t make it work last year.

Since the Jets are taking a slow approach to growth, there’s little reason to think they’re going to make the playoffs next spring unless they add someone of significance.

In the first year Winnipeg could do no wrong. That won’t be the case in Year 2. Unless the Jets do something a little exciting in the free agent frenzy, the loyal followers will begin to get restless — and rightly so.

Almost Done!

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